I Noticed
by IcyThorn
Summary: This is a short story that takes place during episode 1 of season 2. When the girls are having a phone conversation about Honoka. It focuses on Nico and Maki when they were out together. Maki POV. Nico/Maki.


Set in the first episode of the second season. When the Muse girls were having a phone conversation about Honoka. It focuses on Maki and Nico.

* * *

_*tap* *tap*_

I noticed it a while ago. I noticed it as soon as I saw her this night. "I can't say Honoka is acting selfish, but it's true isn't it?" I can only let her talk and hope she doesn't notice that I know. Let her keep her pride unwounded. Aside from her talking, the soundless night is filled with that tapping. If I'm lucky she'll tire herself out, especially with _those_.

"Honoka- " Nico trips from those feet abusers. Nico's prideful collected persona is taken over by the blushing girl who is caught trying too hard. Nico's hands leave her side so she can balance herself. Nico turns her head to check if I saw, I did. But thankfully with my image as the uninterested girl. I can pretend I didn't see a thing with a turn of the head, hair twirling, and a simple. "What?"

Nico's teeth grinding is laid to ease with my response. Nico clears her throat and regains that 'seniority' complex. "As I was saying- GYAH!" Nico is abruptly cut off by those damn heels again. Nico falls from the first step after regaining herself. She falls forward with her pride, using only her hands to cushion the fall. The fall is so bad one of those heels flip off her foot and land near her head.

No escaping this one. I can't just ignore this one, I'd be plain mean if I didn't help. I drop my hair and stroll over to the black-haired girl. I knee down to her. "What were you thinking?" No smiling or frowning down, just an uncontent expression on the girl trying to act grownup. "Those heels are not worth it." I offer her my hand to the girl in need of help. I do hope she'll take my hand and take off those heels.

Nico gives a brief glance to my hand. My indifference is slowly replaced by the forming of a smile. Oh no… Wait. Instead of reaching for my humble hand, I see this poor struggling girl reaching for the thing that has only hurt her. That damn heel. My hint of a smile is now a full blown glare. Not to Nico, but that _Shoe_.

Before Nico can grasp the shoe, I yank it away from her. "Hey!" This pint size girl tried to jump at my hand only to fall once again on her hands. "You're not mature enough to understand!" Nico is trying, always freaking trying! She is trying to keep balance on one heel and her bare foot.

"You're so…" Stupid, selfish, prideful, stupid? No there's only one word to describe her. I cross my arms and lean forward to her to say it loud and clear. "Dense! You're dense!"

"What! I am not! I am generous! I invited you out and paid for dinner!" This is true.

"Dinner? It was burgers at a fast food joint." This is also true. Nico grunts at my response as if it was an actually hit. Nico lunges for the shoe in my hand. I raise the object above my head, Nico can barely keep her balance on one heel. She's persistent when she doesn't stop after she realizes she can't reach. I blush from having Nico's eyes right next next to my lips. But what bothers me the most is she is completely oblivious to my blushing! She's so concentrated on that shoe.

I am not a very open person. I will never show how I really feel. Call it shyness or pride, but I will not say anything about how I feel to this dense girl. I am also not one to act on impulse but…

I wrap my arm around the smaller girl to bring her closer to me. Forcing Nico's compose to crumble under me as she shouts out "H-Hey!" I lead backwards as my other arm encases her. She's not escaping my grip. "What're you doing!" Wouldn't she like to know.

Nico is completely under my control. Her hands pushing at my bicep isn't going to do much. Her squirming in my arms only makes me pull her into me even more, lifting her off the ground. Nico looks my stoic eyes and now she's the one blushing. Nico struggling is slowly subdued with my eyes gazing into hers.

Her blushing is freaking cute too. Damn it. Nico arches away from my body as I continue to stare right at her. "Wha-What are you…" Nico's expression softens from confusion to submission. Now Nico knows I'm in control. And I'm not letting go until I hear it.

*Tap*

"Got it!" My first words since I've laid my hands on her. It forced Nico's expression back into confusion. I twirl the girl to my right and drop her back to the ground. I don't give Nico a second glance after I drop her. I turn back to where Nico was before I lifted her.

I bend down to pick up the second heel that was dropped by Nico when I lifted her up.

"Hey!" Nico looks down to her naked feet and them back to me. Nico's face is still red, but not from blushing, from rage. "Give it back!"

I don't respond to Nico's shouts because I would only spark an argument. I don't want to argue with her. Arguing with her is just so tiring for me. I like to poke fun at her every now and then, but no fighting.

Holding the two heels in my hand. I bend down to my shoes and loosen the laces. Stepping on the ends of my shoe to get them off. Hooking the pair of gym shoes with my finger and having the heels in the other hand. I walk over to Nico my arm forwarding the gym shoes to her and hiding the heels to my side.

"Here."

* * *

…

…

…

Do you hear that? That's right, no tapping. All I hear is Nico walking in _my _shoes. It be may be silly and unmeaningful but it's a special moment for me. Something I'll keep close to me, just like that forced hug-lift I performed on her. My little moments with Nico.

I like Nico-Nico-Nii. I will never say those words out loud for anyone to hear. Instead of speaking my feelings, I will take every moment I can take with Nico Yazawa. Every happy moment. Much like this night.

Tonight was enjoyable, expect…. well. Nico is extremely overdressed. An elegant black top exposing her shoulders that nicely complimented her jet black hair. Along with a frilly skirt that may have well been short shorts. Let's not forget those heels. Nonetheless, overdressed or not, Nico was hot. It's the most honest word _I _can use to describe her. Except those heels. And what did I wear? Just a blue sweater with short shorts and some running shoes.

Seeing Nico in her attire for the first time was something that rattled my mind for the rest of the night. But Nico was in more distress than me. Nico was absolutely mortified in the burger joint. Nico kept shuffling her seat, pulling her skirt down, crossing and uncrossing her legs every five seconds. Not to mention the amount of trouble she went to so her outfit would not get stained. Nico constantly asked for me to get up and get more napkins, which I'm certain she only wanted me to look away just so she could gorge herself in _my_ fries.

Thinking back, I can't help but have enjoyed that time. We still talked about trivial things and laughed together. Although to me, it was ruined by those heels. Hearing them as we walked out the door. It wasn't even the tapping sounds she made when she walked. It was the way they made her look.

I didn't like seeing Nico eye to eye. I don't mean that in a bad way. I like seeing Nico. Except…. I like to see cute little Nico… Not fake Nico trying to look better than what she is. I don't know… I just like Nico the way she is.

"Hey, what are you smiling about?" I hear Nico say first and then feel her poke me. Nico's body is turn away from me, hiding a red face from me. I suppose I do have a stupid smile plastered on my face from our night. She's definitely embarrassed about taking my shoes. "Just don't…. Don't let this get to your head." Nico says in a low voice with her face pouting.

We continue our walk out of the downtown area at night. It's been rather quiet for some time. I don't mind it, but it must be uncomfortable for Nico. The embarrassment of wearing heels she can't walk in, being overdressed for a fast food joint, and now walking home in my shoes. It's been quite a night.

"I enjoyed our night out." I say breaking our silence to give Nico some form of a conversation. I offer a soft smile to Nico, hoping she would smile back. Nico glances over to me and turns back away. I keep my smile even if it's rejected. Nico does give me a response however.

"I did too. Even if it was a bit… ruined." Nico keeps away to not let me see.

"No, I enjoyed it."

"Of course you did. Seeing Nico so vulnerable! Even going so far as to even take advantage of her!" Nico turns her body away from me while placing her hand over lips to say to herself. "Wait till the rest of μ finds out." I decide to let Nico have that self conversation. She's always caught with those. Beside, I find them cute.

"I still think you enjoyed it." I say getting Nico back to face me.

"I did, but I didn't come out just for this."

"You invited me out. I didn't expect it to be something… Fancy."

"Fancy? Burgers and fries are not fancy. You wanted to eat there."

"You asked what I wanted to eat. And I wanted burgers."

"Yea well next time we'll have something fancy."

"No, I don't think so. I'd rather have a quiet night. Maybe you can cook dinner."

"Maybe I guess. Some other time, Although It might be a while. If I get home at this hour, I'll get in trouble." Nico says checking her phone to send a text to her parents. We stop walking when we reach our fork in the road. Nico's home was on the left and mine was to the right. Nico was checking her phone to send a message to her family. "I'm in so much trouble if I get home at this hour." Nico repeated. Looking to Nico as she writes a message to her family. Nico in the moonlight in my shoes with a worried look. I smile over to the unbeknownst girl of my eye. I cannot help myself.

"Then spend the night at my place."

I've noticed.

"What? Is it really ok? I mean I'd be intruding."

I noticed it one day.

"You're not. No one's home. It'd be better to tell your parents you were studying at my place and we lost track of time." I don't want Nico to be stressed, worried, alone, sad, or have any form of regret. I offer my hand to her once more. I hope she takes it.

"Come on, let's keep the night going." I say turning to Nico. Nico is bemused by my hand, as if an act of kindness is foreign to her. I place my other hand in my jacket pocket. Nico keeps her eyes to my hand and presses her phone to have it turn off. Genuinely smiling to a girl I can't help myself around. I feel like-

"Pfft! Haha!" Nico breaks out laughing hysterically. Grabbing her side with one hand and the other covering her mouth. Her breaking out cause me to break my cool. I step forward with me trying to stutter out a response. Nico points to me and says "Look at you! You're like an anime character!"

I leave my anxious mind state and enter a state of irritation. That's why she's laughing! Making fists at my sides and stomping at her. "We wear frilly dresses and dance every day but me offering a hand is ridiculous!?"

"No! It's the way you posed and what you said!" Nico's laughing dies down to small chuckles. Nico jumps forward to get in character. Nico offers her hand much like I did. Nico smiles with rosy cheeks, bends one leg up to rest on the other, and says in a soft voice. "Come on Nico-Nico-Nii~ the night continues!" Nico lost composure half way through the sentence. Stifled laughs escape to breach her composure.

I guess I did look a little silly. Nonetheless, I keep my smile and hand up Nico. "Well?" Nico stops laughing but keeps her smile.

Eyeing Nico as she does my hand. Nico presses another button on her phone to turn it back on. Nico sends a text to her parents and looks back to me. Nico throws her hand on top of mine gripping it tightly. "Show Nico the way!"

Ear to ear grins on both of us. Holding hands. Nico wearing my shoes. Enjoying the spur of the moment. Together with Nico. Tonight I noticed. I am incurably addicted on Nico Yazawa.

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Review and feel free to point out any errors.


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